


The Sound of Needles on the Record

by Kaiser_Rio



Series: Roses are Red [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alt!kids, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-04-01
Updated: 2011-09-21
Packaged: 2017-10-17 10:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/176092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiser_Rio/pseuds/Kaiser_Rio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He slides down into the crater, where she waits atop a dead pony. She's just looking up at him with those red eyes. She even has a headband already. She's a cute lil kid, he decides, appointing her some shades of her own. Picking her and the pony up, he half smiles to himself. He thinks he'll call her Rose. After all. Roses are red.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter Zero: Zachary Strider

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an alt!fic, mostly focusing on Rose, were she raised by Bro. As you should already know about me by now, updates will likely be sporadic.  
> Enjoy!

His name is Zachary Strider. He's only a teenager, fresh out of high school, and struggling to get into college. He won't show that he's struggling though. Cool guys don't do that. So he acts like nothing is wrong, and he convinces himself that there is hardly any trouble. Everyone believes it.

He just moved out of his father's home. He never did get on well with the old man. He doesn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. He can live how he wants now. He promises himself that he will be better than his father.

It's not that his father was abusive. He was a kind man, but he and Zachary never got along well. they were too different. His father was strict, orderly businessman who expected military-like obedience from his son. Zack... well, he was Zack. They argued over many things. Music, Lil Cal, girls, dating, games, everything. That's why Zack swore that if he was a father he'd try to understand.

He gets into college, and gets an okay apartment all to himself. It's not close to the university, but he's fast enough. He always has been. And when he's walking back home at night, someone stops him. Several someones, actually. A lady, and two men. At first he thinks they're going to mug him, but the lady calms him down considerably.

She introduces herself as Mary, and the older man is Hass, and the younger man is Fred. But she's drunk and not feeling well so Hass takes over from there. He asks Zach to join them for the evening, because there is much they need to talk about. Zach does, because he gets the feeling he knows them, and something in his mind is saying he has to.

Over the next few months, the four contact each other. They're all expecting children to fall from the sky for them- a load of crap, in Zack's opinion but still. Mary doesn't believe it either. Fred seems excited, and Hass seems to know everything. It's almost scary, but Zach plays it cool. He always does. More time passes.

Mary calls them first. She holds a child in her arms but seems confused. She won't say why though. She only says that Hass is wrong about one thing. Hass doesn't call them again. Then it happens to him, as well.

He doesn't know where to begin. No one ever does, especially not with parenthood forced onto them by a meteor. But he knew it would happen. He wish he'd gotten more information on it. Now he's staring a little baby in the eyes behind his shades, and she's staring back. He was told to expect a boy. What else was Hass wrong about?

He slides down into the crater, where she waits atop a dead pony. She's just looking up at him with those red eyes. She even has a headband already. She's a cute lil kid, he decides, appointing her some shades of her own. Picking her and the pony up, he half smiles to himself. He thinks he'll call her Rose. After all. Roses are red.

He manages to avoid everyone in the apartment. He has to, because come on he is carrying a dead pony and a little girl that legally doesn't exist. He has plans. Mary gave him some tips, after all. He sort of worries for the poor kid though. Sure she's a scientist and pretty wealthy to boot, but she's also an alcoholic, too.

Speaking of which he will have to clear out the booze himself. Or at least get it out of the bottom cabinets. He needs to clean up a lot, actually. She sits in a clean sink as he pushes sharp objects out of her reach, and oh god his porn. Cant have Rose finding that, nope. So for an hour or so he's frantically getting things out of her reach and eventually he takes her out of the sink and collapses on the couch with her.

She reaches up at him. He smiles.

He's not ready to be a dad. But a brother is good. And he'll be the best goddamn brother ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which absolutely nothing is accomplished. Wow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end.   
> My apologies for the very long hold up. Things will continue to be sporadic, as I'm still adjusting to college.  
> When I learn HTML so that I can color the pesterlogs, I will return and edit them.

It's seven in the morning when you're awoken by your covers suddenly vanishing, leaving you in the cold. On your dresser, right beside your bed, sits Lil Cal, and you can hear your brother cooking bacon in the kitchen. Looks like he's taking your request for real food seriously.

You reach for the puppet and pull him over, hugging him like a teddy bear and rolling over. You can hear Bro walking by to check on you every so often, but you refuse to get up.

"C'mon, Rosie, rise and shine." He finally says after ten minutes.

You grumble a bit and shift.

He walks away. You wonder how much longer until he gets frustrated. You sigh and suddenly Cal's arms are wrapped around you in a hug. You figure you have another ten minutes to snooze some before Bro gets a bit more pushy. So you do, curling up even more. You should probably reconsider sleeping in shorts and a thin tee-shirt, since Bro's been waking you up by stealing your covers more often.

Exactly ten minutes later, Bro comes in.

"Up and at 'em, Sunshine." he tells you.

You do nothing.

"Don't make me do something you'll regret."

Again, you do nothing. The next thing you know, your mattress is flipped over and your on the floor.

"I warned ya, Sunshine. Now come on, breakfast is getting cold. So is the coffee."

You can hear him chuckling as he walks out, and you sit up blearily before closing the door to get dressed. In a minute you stumble out in jeans and a red tank top, the one with the white star printed on it.

"So what's the occasion...? You usually let me sleep in when I don't have school." You ask him, serving yourself. Waffles, bacon and an apple- just how you like it.

"Something came up. I'll be out most of the day. Otherwise, I'd totally let you sleep in." He tells you.

"Something? Work, job interview, hot date? If it's that last one, don't bring 'em here, most of the girls you bring home make me want to gag."

"Yeah, you make them want to gag too, so it's all good. But it's the first one. What sort of date lasts all day?"

"The fair opened recently."

"That doesn't count. Anyway, here's the number for this new place. Lil Cal is staying with you, okay? See you tonight, squirt."

He ruffles your hair, handing you the business card, before rushing out and locking the door. You get your lap top from your room when you're done eating, and open up pesterchum. Only Dave is on.

\-- trenchantTennin [TT] began pestering tiredGardener [TG] at 08:01 --

TT: Hey.   
TT: You there?  
TG: rose  
TG: rrrroooooose  
TG: i thought you didnt have school today  
TT: I don't.  
TG: why are you up so early then???  
TT: Bro wanted me up while he was away.   
TG: laaaame  
TG: why did your teachers go on strike again  
TT: Because dicks is why.  
TT: But no seriously, I'm not going over this again.   
TG: okay :P  
TT: Did you just emote at me?  
TT: Fuck, you're asleep, aren't you?  
TG: uh  
TG: maybe   
TG: okay yeah i am  
TT: I'm going back to bed, it's too early for this.  
TG: aw but rose i love you :'( youre breakin my heart here  
TT: It's what I do, darlin.   
TT: Enjoy your nap and make sure to give your dog love for me, alright?  
TG: okaaaaaayyyy  
TG: enjoy your off day and also your nap rosie  
TT: Don't call me Rosie.

\-- trenchantTennin [TT] ceased pestering tiredGardener [TG] --

That went well. You sigh and pinch your brows before remembering you don't have your shades or headband. You'll get them later.

==>

Almost ten hours later, and you've done absolutely nothing all day. You're okay with that, though. It's what you do. You decide that now that she's on, you'll wish Jade a happy birthday.

\-- trenchantTennin [TT] began to pester ectoBioengineer [EB] at 18:03 --

TT: Hey birthday girl. What'd you get?  
EB: oh my gosh!!! dad got me a bunny and it's just soooooo cute!  
EB: not a real one of course, because of his allergy, but still.  
TT: Is that so? Now I feel a bit lame.   
EB: i got your bunny too, don't worry! it's kinda cute how it has it's own shades, and i know you made it by hand which makes it all the more special!   
TT: Heh.   
TT: Did you get that one game yet?  
EB: uh huh! dad gave me the disk when i went down to get some milk. :)  
TT: Sweet.  
TT: Pretty glad you don't have to go through a silly, convulted mess to get the envelopes.  
EB: ...envelopes?  
TT: ...Yeah, envelopes. There's supposed to be two.  
EB: oh noooooooooooo!!!!  
EB: dad just left too, i know he has the other one!  
TT: God damn it girl.   
TT: When he gets home, go get it.   
TT: Anyway, I'm pretty sure John is itching to play with someone.  
EB: haven't you had it for a while though?  
TT: What, play with that dick? No way.  
TT: I'm not too fond of how he gets.  
EB: ugh fiiiiine. i'll take one for the team, then.   
EB: <3  
TT: Text heart right back atcha, hon.  
EB: Have fun.

You close the chat and look out the window. The sky is red. Bro isn't home yet.

This isn't cool.

**Author's Note:**

> This was just to get into the groove of it. So I guess it's a prologue?


End file.
